Saturday, December 28, 2013

Overnight Blueberry French Toast



I made this wonderful blueberry french toast for breakfast on Christmas morning and it was amazing.  It is easy to make this the night before and then the only thing you have to do is pop it in the oven the next morning.  This recipe is from Allrecipes.com .  I cut the recipe in half when I made this to fit an 8x8 dish  but the original recipe that I include at the end of this blog is for the whole recipe which fits a 9x13 inch dish.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Homemade Doggie Biscuits




Looking for a healthy treat for your furry friends?  These are easy to make and my dog Max just loves these!  The best part of making your own homemade doggie treats is that you can have piece of mind by knowing that you are not feeding your dog some mysterious ingredients that may make them sick. I found this recipe on page 83 of the Dec./Jan. 2014 issue of Allrecipes magazine.  The recipe can also be found here at Allrecipes.com  These also package up nicely to give away as gifts for the holidays!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

Microwave Oven Peanut Brittle




This was my first attempt at making peanut brittle and it was a huge success.  I had reviewed several recipes online and this one seemed the less complicated.  I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and it is a recipe that I will be making again and again.  This would be a great recipe to make for holiday gift giving.

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Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
  • 1 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1 pinch salt (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:

1.  Grease a baking sheet, and set aside. In a glass bowl, combine peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Cook in microwave for 6 to 7 minutes on High (700 W); mixture should be bubbly and peanuts browned. Stir in butter and vanilla; cook 2 to 3 minutes longer.
2.  Quickly stir in baking soda, just until mixture is foamy. Pour immediately onto greased baking sheet. Let cool 15 minutes, or until set. Break into pieces, and store in an airtight container.

Snickerdoodles



 I opened my latest Allrecipes magazine and saw this recipe for Mrs. Siggs Snickerdoodles featured on page 39 of the Dec./Jan.2014 issue and knew I had to make these.  I have made these before in the past and they were a big hit!  Soft and light texture in the middle and a little crispy around the edges. I was out of shortening so I substituted coconut oil and it came out fantastic.  It gave it a little coconut flavor but it was not too overpowering. I will definitely make it this way again it the future.


Monday, November 25, 2013

Pumpkin Crisp Dessert


Looking for a delicious and easy dessert for Thanksgiving?  This dessert is like a cross between a pumpkin pie and a cake.  Perfect for busy cooks who don't have time to prepare a pie crust. The bottom layer is cake-like and the middle layer tastes like a pumpkin pie.  The topping did not come out crispy like the title suggests but it was still yummy and was a big hit with everyone who tried it.  This is a recipe from allrecipes.com.  The recipe calls for a 18.25 ounce yellow cake mix that I could not find at my grocery store.  I used a 16.25 ounce cake mix that I added 5 tablespoons of all-purpose flour and it came out perfect.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Sweet, Sticky and Spicy Chicken




I came across this delicious recipe on page 105 in the Dec/Jan 2014 issue of Allrecipes.com magazine.  This is a meal that I have made several times in the past.  My family really likes this and it is one of those meals that is great to make when you are short on time. It only takes about 20-25 minutes to have on the table.  I always serve it over rice. The only thing I change when I make this recipe is to cut way back on the hot sauce.  I had almost forgot about this recipe and I was glad to be reminded of it when I saw this in the magazine.




Sunday, November 10, 2013

Acorn Candy Cookies



    These cute little acorn candy cookies are perfect for fall and for Thanksgiving and they are sooooo easy to make.  They would also be super cute on top of cupcakes.  I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com while I was looking for some new ideas for Thanksgiving. I made some with butterscotch chips and also made some peanut butter chips...both were really good!

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Ingredients:
  • 1 tablespoon prepared chocolate frosting
  • 24 milk chocolate candy kisses (such as Hershey's Kisses®), unwrapped
  • 24 mini vanilla wafer cookies (such as Nilla®)
  • 24 butterscotch chips

Directions:

1.  Smear a small amount of frosting onto the flat bottom of a candy kiss. Press onto the flat bottom of the vanilla wafer. Smear a little more frosting onto the flat bottom of a butterscotch chip, and press onto the rounded top of the cookie. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Set aside to dry, about 30 minutes.

Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole



Looking for a great recipe to use up all those Thanksgiving leftovers?  Well no need to look any further.  Here is a great recipe from Kraft that combines leftover turkey, veggies, stuffing and cheesy mashed potatoes and also tastes fantastic.  This recipe can be found on Allrecipes.com  My family really loved this and I look forward to making this after Thanksgiving.  (Hopefully I will have enough leftovers to make this again!)


Two Ingredient Pumpkin Cake



Only two ingredients needed to make this simple yummy cake that is perfect for Thanksgiving!  This recipe is from Allrecipes.com  The original recipe requests a 18.25 ounce cake mix but I could only find a 16 ounce cake mix and it still came out great.  It makes a very moist cake that is full of flavor.  I ended up making a cream cheese icing to drizzle over the top and also melted some milk chocolate chips that I also drizzled over the top.  The family really liked this.


Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Stuffed Peppers with Chiliville Chili


   
Trick or Treat?  Here is a fun meal that kids of all ages and grown ups will enjoy.  I had posted a separate blog about how much I loved Johnsonville's Chiliville Chile recipe recently.  I had some chili left over and made some cute stuffed peppers that are perfect for Halloween. 

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Tater Tot Taco Salad




This is a family favorite recipe that I have been making for years now. I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com It is actually the only kind of salad that I can get my boys to eat.  It may seem odd to mix tater tots into a taco salad but it really tastes amazing.  The great thing about this recipe is you can add whatever toppings you like, I like to add diced tomatoes and onions.   I usually serve this with ranch dressing and sometimes I will mix half ranch and half salsa for the dressing.  This recipe is very forgiving so you can make it your own but just be sure not to leave out the Ore-Ida tater tots because this is what really sets this recipe apart from other taco salads.

Chiliville Chili


I have tried a lot of chili recipes and I have to say this is one is excellent.  It is quick and super easy to make too!  It makes a thick hearty chili that my family really loved.  This is the first time that I have ever made chili using sausage and it really made this dish amazing.  I used Mild Italian sausage from Johnsonville and this recipe can also be found on the Johnsonville website.

Pumpkin Latte



Save yourself some time, money and calories by making this  healthier, lower fat version of  Pumpkin Spice Latte at home.  So easy to make and delicious too! Plus as an added bonus pumpkin is a nutritional powerhouse packed full of vitamins and fiber and tastes great too!  Enjoy!


Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies




I just love the fall season...the cool, crisp weather..leaves changing and falling...back to school..holidays just around the corner.  And nothing says welcome to fall quite like comforting pumpkin whoopie pies.   I love all things pumpkin flavored and these whoopie pies are simply devine!  (Recipe from Allrecipes.com)

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Butternut Squash and Turkey Chili



I made this last Sunday for supper and it was delicious.  This is a mild flavored chili that suits my family's taste just fine. You could always spice it up more if you like more heat.  I really love butternut squash but this was the first time I had ever used it in chili.  I really liked sweet flavor of the squash combined with the spicy flavor of the chili powder.   This dish also has hominy it it that I had never tried before and I thought it added a good flavor. This is a recipe that I would definitely make again!  This recipe can be found on Allrecipes.com and also below.


Friday, September 27, 2013

Triple Berry Crisp



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I found this recipe under the MyPlate collection of recipes on Allrecipes.com and all I can say is this is super yummy!  I have tried a lot of crisp recipes and I believe this is the best one yet! It was a big hit with my entire family.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Pineapple Angel Food Cake


Just two ingredients...how easy is that?  I have made this before using peaches and also with blueberry pie filling but I think this one is my favorite so far.  This is also low-fat, low-calorie and no cholesterol dessert.  Now what's not to love about that?


Just one angel food cake mix and one large can of crushed pineapple is all that is needed.


In a large combine the cake mix and the un-drained crushed pineapple and mix for about one minute.  ( Do not add water, just the pineapple and juice)


Pour into an un-greased bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 38-48 minutes until the top is golden brown and cracked and is firm to the touch.  If using a different size pan bake for the length of time according to the directions on the back of the cake box.  Cool completely.


Enjoy!

Friday, September 20, 2013

Homemade Chicken Stock



I love the convenience of using precooked deli chicken in various recipes.  I used to just toss the chicken carcass in the garbage when I was done with it but never again after realizing how easy it is to make my own chicken broth.  It is so simple to throw everything into a slow cooker and let it simmer all day.  Plus it saves a ton of money... I will never again buy chicken broth from the store! :)

Easy BBQ Chicken Tortilla Pizza



Here's a super easy quick meal that is healthy and also tastes great!  I used  a deli rotisserie chicken to make this even easier. This recipe is from Allrecipes.com.  The recipe only make one pizza but the servings can be easily increased.

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Turkey Bacon Breakfast Burritos





Here is a great tasting breakfast burrito recipe from Butterball turkey.  I want to thank Butterball for sponsoring the Allrecipes all-stars this month.  Each Tuesday this month I will make and feature a  new recipe containing Butterball turkey products for Turketarian Tuesdays.  

I wanted to make this recipe a little more diet-friendly so I modified the original recipe to reduce the fat and calories by substituting eggbeaters for the eggs. I skipped the oil and used non-stick spray.   I also used low-carb tortillas in place of regular and low-fat cheddar cheese.  I don't think that these changes sacrificed any flavor but did make it a healthier version.  

Click here for the original recipe from Allrecipes.com.   I also cut the original recipe from 8 down to 4 servings. I just love that handy dandy edit servings feature on the Allrecipes site, that we really helps me to avoid doing the math myself to adjust serving sizes. :)

Here's my version of the recipe.  Hope you enjoy!

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Printable Recipe

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 package Butterball turkey sausage,cooked and crumbled
2 cups Eggbeaters
4 (10 inch)  low-carb tortillas
1/2 (16 ounce) can chili beans, warmed
1/2 cup low-fat cheddar cheese
1/2 large avocado, peeled and diced
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1 cup salsa or pica de gallo
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1.  Spray a skillet with non-stick cooking spray.  Add eggbeaters to skillet. Cook, pulling cooked portion to the center. Add bacon and continue cooking until eggs are firm. Remove from heat.
2.  To assemble burritos, evenly portion heated beans down center of each tortilla. Top beans with egg mixture, cheese, avocado and cilantro. Fold in opposite sides of each tortilla, and then roll up, burrito-style. Cut diagonally in half and serve with salsa and sour cream.








Sunday, August 18, 2013

Popcorn Steak Bites



I am so happy to share this delicious recipe that comes directly from Beef. It's What's for Dinner.   These came out super, super tender! I mean they were seriously so tender they melt in your mouth.  My family gave them two thumbs up!  :)

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Oreo Balls







 I just made these for the first time after my brother and sister in law told me about amazing these are!  I am really glad I tried these... they are really good and super easy to make and what's not to love about Oreos?